Stitch ring for knitting machines



Feb. 2, 1937. R. H. LAWSON 2,069,672

STITCH RING FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 12, 1938' 1 10.2. FIQS.

3o 30- g 32 ll. lll||ll E m 35 k I -28 as 25 '1 Patented Feb. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES STITCH RING FOR KNITTING MACHINES Robert H. Lawson, Pawtucket, R. L, assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 12, 1936, Serial No. 79,279

'7 Claims.

This invention deals with a combined stitch ring and sinker guiding ring for circular knitting machines of a type wherein the sinkers are to be moved for cooperating in the drawing of stitches and wherein they are to be very accurately guided in said movements.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a section taken through a part of a machine embodying the stitch ring construction in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section showing in detail the manner in which this stitch ring has been formed; and

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing a fragment of the ring for illustrating the guiding slots, Figs. 2 and 3 being shown to a scale much larger than the actual dimensions of the ring itself.

With such machines as the Banner multi-feed, circular knitting machine the sinkers are moved radially of the machine for the usual purpose of casting off or shedding the previously knitted loops, and in addition, are given a rocking movement incidental to measuring and drawing each individual stitch. In fine gauge machines and for the purpose of knitting as perfect fabric as is possible, these rocking sinkers are to be provided with guiding means which will maintain them evenly spaced and will also assure that the various movements of each individual sinker take place in as near a single vertical plane as is mechanically practicable. The sinkers employed are necessarily very thin at their stitch measuring and casting off portions. This extreme thinness is necessary for the knitting of fine gauge fabric and can not practically be carried through the entire sinker and, for that reason, the sinker is formed with considerable thickness throughout its shank, butt, and in fact throughout all parts of the same except the edge over which the stitch is to be drawn and the nib.

Referring to Fig. 1 a section has been shown which illustrates a part of a typical Banner multifeed machine having a cylinder I with built up needle slots therein, needles 2, a sinker head 3 clamped to the cylinder by means of ring 4 and the bolts 5. A plurality of sinkers are arranged for rocking movement within slots in head 3,

these sinkers having shanks 6, butts I, nibs 8,

stitch drawing edges 9 and an extension I!) which is engaged by a jack H for imparting the vertical movement necessary whenever a sinker cooperates with the adjacent needle in measuring and drawing a stitch. The part of the sink- 55 er above line l2 has been rolled to a suitable thickness in accordance with the gauge of the machine or of the fabric produced while the remainder of the sinker is constructed with a thickness to give it substantial strength and rigidity.

Cams l3 and 14 function upon the needle butts 5 to impart stitch drawing movements thereto while cams l5 and l6 cause the jacks H to move sinkers throughout a stitch measuring wave. The cams l3 and M are attached to'a slide ll adjustable in height along a bracket l8 by means 10 of an eccentric connection generally indicated at l9 which will not be described in detail in this case. The cams I5 and I6 are attached through the intermediate connection 20 to the bracket l8.

A plate 2i fixed to the angular piece 22 sup- 15 ports cams 23 and 24 which function upon the butts l on the sinkers to move them radially as necessary for casting off knitted loops as new loops are drawn through them. 'The angular piece 22 is fixed to the upper end of bracket I8. 20

The stitch ring which forms the novel element of this case is constructed'in two parts 25 and 26, these two parts being fixedly attachedto one another so that they appear as a unit and are attached to the upper end of a cylinder by screws 25 21 having their heads confined within a counterbore so that a smooth surface is presented to the fabric as it is drawn down inside the cylinder.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the two part ring is shown on an enlarged scale for purposes of 30 illustrating the details more clearly; The lower part of the ring 25 is connected to the upper part 26 by means of a series of screws 28 passing through holes in the lower part and threaded into the upper part. Once connected, these two 35 portions of the ring serve as a single unit. Manufacture is greatly facilitated by making the ring in two parts. The upper part of the ring has been slotted as shown at 29, these slots being cut on a width which will allow the thin part of the 40 sinker to move freely therein but which will nevertheless prevent any undue movement sidewise. The lower part of the ring has been formed in a shape to meet the upper part when they are clamped together; this portion of the lower 45 ring which meets the upper slotted part has been cut with grooves 30 which align with the grooves or slots 29 to guide the sinkers at a position below the line I 2 and thus are of increased width. Proper clearance has been provided in these widened parts of the slots 30, but neither slot 29 or 30 allow any excess movement. This is a distinct improvement over the previous construction wherein the sinkers were guided at their inner tion gave no support to the sinker at its thin section and thus, each sinker was likely to rock within its slot and was likely not to function within a, single plane nor within a vertical one.

The lower ring 25 has been constructed with a flange 3| slotted as shown at 32 and at 33 to support the upper end of a steel strip used in constructing the built-up cylinder. These are merely convenient expedients and form no essential part of the' present invention. Each of the grooves 29 has been rounded oil at its front end to allow the insertion of. sinkers with a minimum of eflort.

The construction of each part of the ring is such that the opening 34 is left within the interior of the ring and within which the inner vend of the sinker projects. Lint accumulating will be pushed into this opening 34 and may fall out other openings 35 provided on the inner part of ring 26.

The invention has been described relative to 'one embodiment of the same, but is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine, the combination of a needle cylinder, a sinker head, sinkers movable in slots within said head and a stitch ring having slots therein for restraining the said sinkers at their inner ends, said sinkers being constructed with two different thicknesses at the part maintained within the stitch ring, the slots in said stitch ring for restraining the inner ends of sinkers being formed of two difierent widths for the proper working of said sinkers therein.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of a needle cylinder, a sinker head having slots therein, sinkers movable radially and capable of being rocked within the slots of said head, a stitch ring attached to the upper end of said cylinder having slots cut therein within which the inner ends of sinkers are maintained and guided in their radial and rocking movements, said slots being cut on two different widths thereby to provide proper support and working clearance for the inner ends of sinkers which are formed with sections of two widths.

3. A stitch ring provided with slots for guiding the inner ends of sinkers, said slots being constructed throughout a portion of their extent with one width and throughout the remainder of their extent with a narrower width.

4.. A stitch ring for knitting machines having slots cut therein for guiding the inner ends of sinkers, said slots being cut atone width throughout the lower portion thereof, the remainder of the slot being cut on a narrow width for the purpose described.

5. A stitch ring for knitting: machines including an upper and a lower section, means for permanently attaching said sections together, slots cut in the upper and lower sections registering with one another, the slots cut in the lower section being of one width and the slots in the upper section being cut on a narrower width.

6. A stitch ring for knitting machines formed in two parts, said parts being permanently attached, the construction being such that registering slots are cut'part in the upper section and part in the lower section and both sections being cut to form an annular opening on the inner side of said slots, this opening being connected to the "inner side of said stitch ring by a series of holes whereby lint pushed through said sinker slots may be discharged through said opening and holes.

35 7. A stitch ring for knitting machines oi the 

